Kind neighbor rallies support from people to help a single dad buy gifts for his kids

Raising kids as a single parent can be a challenging task. But sometimes, kind people step in to help make a single parent's life easier however they can. Donald Wilson began going through a rough patch in his life when his former partner, Lakenya Wilbourn, abruptly passed away as a result of a stroke, per The Washington Post. Even though the couple had broken up, they had co-parented their three young children, Donald Jr., Poetry and Honesty. Wilson, who worked as a prep cook at a casino, now had to rely on family members to look after his kids since he worked overnight. The man remained strong and decided that he wanted to do right by his children, so he somehow survived.

The man stayed in a duplex unit, and Colin McConnell lived below him. He started to notice that his neighbor looked more tired and decided to try and talk to him to understand what was going on. Wilson eventually opened up about what had happened. McConnel was empathetic and decided to help the kids in some way. He posted a TikTok video where he detailed how Wilson was a single dad working hard to make ends meet for his kids. The video has gained 33K likes and 697 comments on the social media platform so far.

He says, "I do what I can when I can. Sometimes, when I go grab a coffee, I'll grab the girl's donuts, but I wanna do more." McConnell continues, "And I've talked to him and told him I'm probably gonna make a video, and if he's cool with that. And he said he is." The kind man shares that he has put together an Amazon wishlist for the kids and that any individual who wants to help the family can go to his account and purchase things for them. The video ends with him saying, "Anyways, thanks for listening to my story and hopefully we can spread some kindness together." 

People immediately shared that they would help in the comments section. @krazy4stamps said, "Buckle up, your TikTok family is coming in hot! Packages coming. Hope it helps this young family!" A few others commended McConnell for his kind gesture. @papabear2121 commented, "You are a great man. I'm a single father with 4 kids. and let me tell you, people are too busy to care for others. GOD bless you." @allenf85 expressed, "Thank you for being you! That family will never forget how you helped them! Respect!" 

The man posted a follow-up video showcasing Wilson's reaction. He begins with a short introduction about the family before he eventually says, "I put the video out there and close to 230,000 of you saw it. And you guys adopted this family with me." As McConnell says this, we can see a big array of Amazon boxes in the background, ready to be given to the kids. The video cuts, and we can see Wilson walking into his neighbor's house with a big grin on his face.

The father is clearly in shock and they both discuss when to give the kids the many gifts. At the end of the video, McConnell thanks everybody who contributed to the family. People were very touched and put down their thoughts in the comments section. @sharonbassett682 said, "That is awesome. So nice to see social media used like this." @dawnhuneycutt expressed, "This is what Christmas is about!! Bless you for helping this family! It will come back to you, sir!!" 

You can follow Colin McConnel (@colin313) on his TikTok page for updates about the Wilson family.